


A Love Stronger Than Espresso

by tempolarriefics



Category: Larry Stylinson - Fandom, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Coffee Shops, It's all about Larry bby ;D, Liam also gets in the way, Louis falls in love with him a little bit, M/M, Niall ends up bringing them together, Oh and there's references to Niam even though nothing actually happens, Zayn is just trying to protect Louis (and mostly gets in the way), harry works in a coffee shop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-11
Updated: 2014-07-11
Packaged: 2018-02-08 08:54:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 12,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1934676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tempolarriefics/pseuds/tempolarriefics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis is entirely dependent on caramel mocha in the mornings, but soon he finds that there's one thing at the coffee shop he needs more than coffee - a cute barista named Harry.</p><p>aka: The one where Harry is a cute barista guy and Louis plays hard to get by using a different name to order coffee each day</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based on this lovely tumblr prompt: #can someone please write an au #where harry works in the campus cafe at uni #and louis stops in every day just to see the gorgeous barista with the big green eyes #who always beams at louis and tells him to have a beautiful day #but louis notices that he flirts with pretty much everyone so he just kind of resigns himself to pining from afar#but he’s a little shit so he gives a different name every time just for the hell of it #but harry /remembers/ him #remembers his blue eyes and his floppy early-morning fringe and his clever mouth and how soft his stubble looks #so after a few weeks of writing names like ‘andrew’ and ‘george’ and once even ‘cheryl’ #because louis was listening to cheryl cole and was feeling cheeky #harry finally writes on louis’ cup ‘one day i’ll get you to tell me your real name’ #and underneath ‘mine’s harry by the way i like your smile’ #and louis doesn’t see it until he’s already sitting in class and zayn pokes at him and asks why the barista wrote him a novel #so he goes back after class and harry isn’t looking when louis walks up #so he just says ‘my name is actually louis’ #and when harry looks up he’s smiling so wide it actually looks painful #and harry says ‘i finish my shift in like five minutes do you want to have tea with me?’ #and louis has a class to get to but harry is so pretty and he looks so hopeful #so louis just texts zayn to take notes for him and says ‘absolutely’ #and they claim two squashy chairs by the window where the sun slants over harry’s face and makes his eyes sparkle #or maybe that’s just what louis does to him #and tea turns into lunch which turns into dinner which turns into a kiss on the front porch of louis’ tiny little house #that he shares with zayn and niall #turns into movie nights and coffee dates and sleeping over #until eventually harry just stops writing names on louis’ cups altogether and signs it off with ‘boyfriend’ #…….okay #au ideas #bye (x)

 

Louis rubbed his eyes sleepily, suppressing a yawn as he trudged towards the coffee shop alone. Niall was insane, he decided, to be taking classes this early in the morning. And he was probably the best friend ever for agreeing to accompany him on the walk to class. When they had asked Zayn to come, Zayn had chosen instead to give them the finger and chuck pillows and various objects near his bed at them until they left him alone (including an unpeeled orange, a red umbrella, a textbook dominated by haphazardly placed sticky notes, and a build-a-bear dressed as superman that technically belonged to Louis). Yes, Niall was definitely lucky to have friends like Louis.

Louis pushed open the door to the homey, albeit empty, coffee shop, startled into a slightly more awake state by the chime of a bell that announced his entrance. He still had plenty of time to waste until his first class of the day started, having already walked Niall to his ridiculously early class, and he needed coffee as soon as possible otherwise he was going to pass out of sleep deprivation. Plus with his luck, without caffeine he’d end up falling asleep and missing class entirely.

“Good morning!” A deep voice called out, managing to sound both cheerily welcoming and syrupy slow at the same time, simultaneously waking Louis up and lulling him back into a dream land. “What can I get for ya?”

Louis stumbled over to the counter and stared blankly at the menu for a moment, unable to focus on any of the words before dumbly looking at the barista and  - _wow._ Okay now he was awake. The barista was simply…stunning. He had chocolate brown curls framing his pale face and an easygoing open smile that made Louis feel like they were friends rather than strangers. And he had deep emerald green eyes, wide and friendly and - _oh!_ \- looking right at Louis.

“Erm…” Louis smiled back self consciously, mentally cursing Niall for making him leave their apartment so early without properly getting himself dressed. Of course the day that he went out in rumpled sweats and a beanie thrown quickly over his mussed fringe would be the day that he met possibly the cutest guy to ever exist.

Cute-Barista Guy seemed completely understanding of Louis’ lack of ability to function, leaning his lanky frame back against the display of muffins and waiting patiently. He was probably used to leaving his customers speechless with his effortless perfection, Louis thought wryly.

But of course it was only natural, with those slim legs and that long toned torso… Louis jolted as he realized he was staring again, stammering as Cute-Barista Guy’s lips twisted into an amused smirk. “I’ll have a caramel mocha…please.”

Cute-Barista Guy nodded his approval, tapping the order into his cash register and saying smoothly, “Good choice.”

Louis grinned, saying with a wink before he could stop himself. “Thanks, I pride myself on having good taste.”

Then he froze, because obviously the filter on his mouth – which was pretty weak when he was at his best – was completely nonexistent when he was in this sleepy state. To his surprise though, Cute-Barista Guy just laughed loudly, filling the small shop with the sound. “I agree completely. You seem like the type to.” He said with a cheeky grin, eyes raking up Louis’ body not-so-subtly as he picked up a sharpie.

Louis’ eyebrows flew up in surprise but his mouth was forming a response of its own accord. “Takes one to know one.”

Cute-Barista Guy nodded in acknowledgement before looking expectantly at Louis. “Touche. Anyways, name?”

Louis hesitated for a moment, somewhat giddy with Cute-Barista Guy’s reaction to his comments, before answering “Andrew.”

Not Louis. Andrew.

“You got it.” Cute-Barista Guy said, scrawling the name ‘Andrew’ on Louis’ cup before turning to prepare the coffee. Louis watched him stupidly, not entirely sure himself why he had chosen to say a fake name.

It was a spontaneous thing that Louis’ half asleep brain had decided on without much reason, although Louis tended to not have reasons for most of his life choices. As life choices went, this one seemed fairly minor. Besides, Louis was probably making a fool of himself and he didn’t want Cute-Barista Guy to know who the idiot in desperate need of coffee, sleep, and a shower was.

He paid in cash, more because he happened to have five dollars in his pocket for snacks at all times than because he’d figured out that using a card would give away his identity, but that was a plus too.

Just as Cute-Barista Guy was handing him his change, the bell above the door jangled in welcome and a group of four girls came in. Cute-Barista Guy shouted out a greeting to them and Louis hurriedly gave him a wave and collected his coffee and change, turning to leave. “Have a great day!” Cute-Barista Guy called to him, positively beaming and Louis wasn’t sure how it was possible for one boy to be so perfect. He nodded his thanks and left with a smile on his face, struggling against looking back and secretly hoping that Cute-Barista Guy was checking out his arse.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

Louis wasn’t sure if it was the coffee, which had been spectacular, or the fact that he’d successfully flirted with an extremely cute guy, but Louis had been in a great mood all day, and he still was. It had lasted an unbelievably long time, through all of his boring classes and even when Zayn made him go out to get take-out for dinner because he and Niall were too lazy to do it themselves.

Whereas Niall decided to gratefully accept the sudden lack of sassy irritableness that usually defined Louis whenever he was awake before noon, Zayn couldn’t help but question his mate’s change of behaviour.

“Did you get laid or summat Lou?” Zayn finally asked when Louis came into their shared flat, whistling and carrying a bag of Chinese takeout.

Louis rolled his eyes at his dark haired friend saying pointedly, “Zayn, we share a flat - I’m pretty sure you would know if I had.”

Zayn shrugged, unaffected, and studied Louis. “I don’t know, you have your ways. Besides, you’re strangely upbeat for someone who was dragged out of bed at five this morning to walk Nialler to class.” He paused for a moment, thinking, before his eyebrows shot up in shock. “Did you and Niall get some action??”

Louis crinkled his nose, setting the orange chicken down harshly on the table and emphasizing “NO!” as Niall hollered his protests from the couch.

Zayn shrugged and leaned back again, looking bored. “So then what’s got you in such a good mood if it wasn’t a guy?”

“Wellll...” Louis glanced away to look at his coffee cup where it was sitting neglected by the sink. “I didn’t exactly say it wasn’t a guy...”

Zayn followed his gaze staring in confusion at the cup as Niall cat called from where he was sprawled in front of the TV. “So...you went with Niall to class early...stopped for coffee...met a hot guy named Andrew...and stole his coffee..?”

Louis gave Zayn his best offended look. “Well no wonder you never want me to be your wingman anymore if you think thats the way I pick up guys.”

Niall laughed and came over by his flatmates, stealing a bite of noodle before insisting proudly, “But you did meet a hot guy right? See Lou, you should be _thankful_ that I got you up early! This is all because of me.”

“Well if we’re using that logic, it’s technically because of me wanting to sleep that you took Louis with you in the first place.” Zayn pointed out.

Louis’ eyes widened as he turned to gasp dramatically at Niall. “I’m your second choice?!? Some friend you are!”

Niall laughed, ducking as Louis chucked a fortune cookie at him before pointing an accusing finger at him, knowing there was nothing but playful banter behind their words. “Hey no changing the subject, Lou! We want to know about this mystery guy.”

Zayn motioned to Louis’ cup again, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah...any particular reason you have a cup with the name Andrew on it, Lou?”

“Erm...not really. It was the first name that came to mind.” Louis said vaguely.

Zayn simply raised his eyebrows at Louis, waiting for further explanation.

Louis sighed, wracking his brain for a suitable reason. “I don’t really know...you should have seen him, he was this ridiculously stunning barista and I looked practically homeless! Besides, he won’t remember me. I’ll just make a better impression next time, with my actual name. He’ll never know.”

Niall waited a beat before promptly cracking up. “Now Lou, _that_ is why we don’t trust you as our wingman anymore.”

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

 

Louis had meant to wake up early, he really had.

But in the early morning light, buried in the warmth of his covers, somehow just a few more minutes turned to five more minutes turned to fifteen minutes turned to a half an hour until Louis was scrambling to even have time to go to the coffee shop at all.

Cursing under his breath, Louis jerked out of bed, rubbing the sleepiness from his eyes as he rushed to get ready somewhat decently. He showered as fast as possible before throwing on his favorite striped shirt and the first pair of jeans he was able to find, fastening a pair of suspenders in place as he rushed out the door.

Niall, already in the kitchen because of his firm belief that it’s never too early nor too late for breakfast, clapped Louis on the back encouragingly and shoved a Pop Tart in his hand as he was leaving. It was brown sugar, Louis’ favorite. Come to think of it, maybe Louis was the one who was lucky to have friends like Niall, not so much the other way around.

But Louis didn’t have time to dwell on that. He power walked across campus, just a little faster than a speed walk but a tad slower than a mild jog, arriving shortly at the coffee shop, just slightly out of breath.

The bell on the door jangled its welcome as Louis entered, followed by a quick greeting from Cute-Barista Guy. He was busy making a drink for a pretty blond girl, but the fleeting smile and call of “G’morning!” was enough to make Louis beam, even if Cute-Barista Guy was no longer looking.

Taking a place behind the blond girl to wait in line, Louis suddenly felt self conscious. Cute-Barista Guy had hardly spared him a glance, more preoccupied with the blond that was chatting animatedly at him as he made her drink. And Louis was barely presentable, though slightly more so than the day before. Surely he’d be racking up a reputation as a careless sleepyhead by now.

Louis cringed, spying his reflection in the oven window and realizing that he did indeed look a downright mess. His hair, which he hadn’t had time to quiff or even let dry, had been styled by the breeze and was looking haphazardly windswept. Plus his suspenders, which he’d grabbed without looking too closely, clashed strikingly with the pants he had chosen. And the more he thought about it, the less sure he was that they were clean pants anyways.

Louis refrained from crinkling his nose at his appearance, mentally scolding himself for not having gotten out of bed sooner as the blond paid for her drink and started to leave. Just as Louis was about to step forward and sheepishly order his caramel mocha, the blond girl turned around and leaned over the counter, sliding a napkin towards Cute-Barista Guy. Ten digits had been written neatly near the corner accompanied by a large flourished heart. The blond didn’t say anything specific, but the wink she flashed at Cute-Barista Guy was enough to get the message across.

Cute-Barista Guy didn’t even look mildly surprised, smoothly winking back and tucking the napkin in his pocket as he drawled “Thanks, love.”

Louis had never felt more out of place in his life, and he’d been in a fair share of awkward situations. Leaving the shop or even stepping backwards seemed to make his discomfort all the more obvious, so Louis just stood where he was, a bit too close, as the entire exchange occurred.

The blond gave a quick wave and left, coffee in hand, and Cute-Barista Guy turned to Louis, his eyes flickering in recognition. “What can I get for ya?” He asked, as if nothing had just happened.

Louis stared stupidly at Cute-Barista Guy, realizing for the first time what a fool he was for assuming that this perfect boy in front of him had ever held the slightest interest in him. Cute-Barista Guy seemed to be quite the flirt, with a natural charm that didn’t actually lead to anything other than a bad coffee habit and a good $4.25 less in his wallet.

“Caramel mocha please.” Louis said quietly, placing his money on the counter.

“You got it.” Cute-Barista Guy gave him a lopsided grin, looking a little too pleased that his coffee making skills had brought Louis back for the same order. He studied Louis for a moment like he was trying to remember something, but shook his head smiling again as he picked up a cup and sharpie and asked, “Name?”

“A-...” Louis faltered, realizing suddenly that saying ‘Andrew’ again would be practically be creating a fake identity for himself. “Erm...Aaron.” He corrected himself quickly, flashing Cute-Barista Guy a quick smile.

Cute-Barista Guy nodded and wrote the name on the cup, showing no signs of having noticed that Louis (aka Andrew) was now Aaron. Louis sighed as Cute-Barista Guy made him his drink, feeling simultaneously dejected that he hadn’t been worth remembering and glad that his shabby appearance had been forgotten.

_Next time_ , Louis told himself as Cute-Barista Guy handed him his drink along with a receipt, his change, and a bright smile. Next time he’d make an impression worth remembering.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

The next morning, Louis was out of bed before the sun was up. By anyone’s standards, it was early. By Louis’ standards, it was bloody ridiculous.

Usually being out of bed before lunch qualified as too early for Louis, but some things were worth the sacrifice, and an unbearably cute barista was definitely worthy of less sleep. Especially when Louis had two days of sloppy appearances to make up for.

Keeping this in mind, Louis took a long shower and styled his hair into a quiff - the kind that seems effortless and casual when in reality it takes a good two hours to perfect. He dressed in a slimming shirt and struggled into some fairly tight jeans (certainly not as tight as Cute-Barista Guys’ tended to be, but close).

Looking himself over in the mirror, Louis nodded his approval. He looked good, he smelled good, and there weren’t even circles under his eyes from lack of beauty sleep. Today was the day he would seduce Cute-Barista Guy, and he would not let anything ruin that.

Louis sauntered out of the flat and to the coffee shop with his head held high, except for the occasions when he had to duck under tree branches to protect his masterful quiff. He had even opted to skip breakfast this morning to avoid getting food stuck in his teeth or ruining the current state of his fresh, minty breath. Not taking the time to eat also gave him time to walk to the coffee shop in a composed manner instead of rushing to get there. He just hoped that his stomach wouldn’t make any noises while he was talking to Cute-Barista Guy.

Arriving a short while later, Louis pushed open the door and walked into the heavenly smell of fresh ground coffee. Having gotten up so early, nothing other than talking to Cute-Barista Guy sounded better than a good cup of caffeine.

“Hello!” A cheerful voice called out as Louis entered, but it was simply polite, not slow and warm and familiar like the welcome Louis had been expecting.

Louis jerked in surprise at the new voice, his gaze locking on the barista, who was definitely _not_ Cute-Barista Guy. He was still good looking, stocky and well built with a kind smile and big brown eyes, but he wasn’t Cute-Barista Guy.

And he certainly wasn’t worth getting up at 4 am for.

A matter of fact, he had a sort of puppy dog look about him that Louis couldn’t quite place, but it was a bit of a turn off. He seemed somewhat like Niall’s type, but after the wing-man insults he’d been receiving lately Louis wasn’t quite sure that he should try to set them up.

“What would you like?” The new barista asked and Louis stepped up to the counter, glancing down at his nametag. _Liam_.

“Caramel mocha.” Louis replied flatly. He remembered after a moment how his mum had taught him that even disappointment didn’t count as a suitable reason for bad manners, and added on a delayed “Please.”

Liam nodded and fumbled with a cup and sharpie, looking up to ask Louis “And what’s your name?”

“Matt.” Louis deadpanned, because he was mad and it had seemed more clever in his head.

Liam neatly printed the four letters on his cup, taking the time to check a couple of boxes next to his name to indicate to Louis what he was drinking (Type of drink:  ☑ mocha; Special Ingredients:  ☑ caramel) while Louis refrained from rolling his eyes and bit back every sassy comment that came to mind.

Liam smiled proudly at the cup as if he had just done a spectacular thing, resembling a kid who had just written cursive for the first time. (Cursive was hard, with loops and swirls all over the place, and Louis was pretty sure he still looked like that after accomplishing writing anything legibly in that way). He supposed to anyone else, Liam’s look of pride might have seemed endearing, but Louis was not in the mood to be endeared; he was in the mood for green eyes and chocolate curls and dimpled smiles. Either that or a large dose of caffeine.

Liam went on to make the caramel mocha with agonizing perfection, measuring everything carefully and stirring and mixing far too often. Louis was left waiting, glaring at his reflection in the oven window that mocked him with its looks and wishing he had paused for breakfast instead of skipping it for Cute-Barista Guy.

Actually, he wished he hadn’t sacrificed anything for Cute-Barista Guy. Now he was sleep deprived and starving, and it wasn’t even worth his troubles. He had put actual effort into his appearance today, and the person it was intended for wasn’t even there to appreciate it.

Liam finished making the mocha and smiled despite Louis’ scowl as he paid. “Thanks,” Louis muttered, grabbing the drink and giving him a halfhearted attempt at a smile that looked more like a grimace.

“Have a nice day!” Liam called out as Louis pushed open the door to leave.

Louis nodded in acknowledgement, wondering to himself whether it was even worth the effort to keep coming to the coffee shop every day. “Thanks.” He told Liam with a sigh, giving him a half wave and adding under his breath, “Have a nice life.”

Cute-Barista Guy had better be there tomorrow.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

 

When Louis was having a bad day, it usually took either a lot of alcohol or a miracle to make it better - though he was pretty sure that a certain curly haired lad would do the trick as well.

But Louis had to go to class and neither miracles or perfect boys tended to appear in his life, so he was stuck in a rotten mood that he doubted even Zayn could make better.

Zayn and Louis had been best mates since they were young, and had grown up together before luckily being accepted to the same university. They were still close as flatmates, and somehow over the years it seemed like nothing had changed between them. They understood each other in a way that no one else did, and could carry a conversation of sorts through just a few gestures.

Zayn could often tell the difference between and the reason behind Louis’ moods, sometimes before he’d even figured it out himself. He also always knew whether Louis was put off by something genuine or petty, knew how to comfort him if it was the former and get on his nerves if it was the latter.

Taking the open seat beside his friend, Louis had already accepted that Zayn would see through him in seconds, delving behind his facade of sassiness with practiced ease.

“Hey.” Louis said curtly as he dropped his coffee cup down on the desk, sitting down and getting out a notebook instead of turning to face Zayn.

“Hey Lou,” Zayn replied, eyes flicking down to the caramel mocha before he corrected himself with a slight smirk. “I mean, hi Matt.”

Louis rolled his eyes and gave Zayn an empty glare, no venom behind it but clearly conveying his annoyance. “Just. Louis.” He emphasized.

Zayn just raised his eyebrows, commenting mildly “Didn’t go too well then, I take it?”

Louis couldn’t help but crack a fleeting half-smile at the sarcasm, shaking his head quickly before reaching up to make sure his quiff was still intact. “He wasn’t even bloody there.”

Zayn nodded at the explanation, overlooking Louis’ angered tone and asking “Gonna try again tomorrow?” Louis just shrugged, feeling defensive, and Zayn continued lightly, “I recommend the name George.”

Louis relaxed, laughing a little as he was reassured that Zayn wasn’t judging him in the slightest, but Zayn shook his head and insisted. “No, I mean say George.”

“Tomlinson!” Their professor barked from the front of the room. “I said, who was king during the American Revolution?”

Louis looked up blankly, blinking slowly at Zayn for a moment before saying uncertainly, “King...George?”

The professor narrowed her eyes at him but moved on, apparently satisfied with the answer, and Louis breathed a sigh of relief. Zayn was a ridiculously good friend.

Zayn waited until their professor was no longer paying attention to them before nudging Louis gently and saying quietly, “Lou.”

Louis knew that tone of voice. It was Zayn’s Serious Best Mate Advice voice. It was his Louis Get Your Life Together voice. It was gentle and consoling, though slightly condescending, and worst of all, it was usually right.

“Yess...?” Louis asked, somewhat warily, as he glanced at Zayn.

“Look at me.” Zayn insisted softly, and Louis sighed but met Zayn’s eyes. He could see it there too, the concern lacing Zayn’s distinct features - his eyebrows slightly furrowed, his eyes searching and understanding, a trace of a sad smile on his lips. “Lou...what are you doing mate?”

“Not paying attention to lecture, that’s for sure.” Louis joked offhandedly as he took a sip of his mocha.

But Zayn knew him too well to be deterred by the wit that Louis used automatically to conceal his actual thoughts from others, simply looking expectantly at Louis and tapping his coffee cup. “That’s not what I meant, _Matt_.”

Louis sighed, pushing the cup to the edge of his desk and shrugging instead of answering, because he didn’t actually know what he was doing.

Zayn nodded, taking Louis’ silence as a cue for him to explain, using his fingers to count off the points he made. “Lou, you’re obsessing over him...” One finger. “This random coffee guy that you’ve only met once-”

“Twice!” Louis interjected.

“And you don’t even know his name-” Two fingers.

“It’s not my fault he doesn’t wear a nametag!” Louis cried out in defense.

“And he probably thinks you’ve got some sort of multipersonality disorder-” Three fingers.

“Well I was going to tell him my name today but-”

“Louis.” Zayn sighed, dropping his hand down in a fist on Louis’ desk like it was a judge’s gavel.

Louis fell silent and Zayn continued quietly. “What’s it going to take for you to realise...he’s not worth your time?”

Louis immediately opened his mouth to argue, but another glance at Zayn’s serious expression caused him to drop his complaints.

“I’m just looking out for you Lou...you’re going out of your way all the time for him, thinking about this guy constantly.” Zayn said quietly before adding, “And there’s nothing wrong with that, but honestly...how much do you think he wonders about you?”

Louis faltered, thinking about how Cute-Barista Guy hadn’t even noticed the name switch when he’d come back the second time. And how he had been flirting with that pretty blond girl. And how Louis didn’t even know his name.

And suddenly, it all seemed so ridiculous. Trying to impress a barista who didn’t even care about him, other than for his coffee order.

“Oh.” Louis said quietly, looking down at the cup of coffee and feeling ashamed.

Zayn reached over to pat his back softly, saying “Just keep your perspective Lou...I don’t want you to get hurt over something that never was.”

Louis nodded in understanding, because if nothing else, Zayn always had good advice. He wouldn’t go back to the coffee shop tomorrow, Louis decided. There was no point - other than the lingering hope for something that wasn’t, to be.

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

 

Louis hadn’t meant to go to the coffee shop the next day, as per Zayn’s advice. He’d intended to go to bed early and sleep in for once, let himself have a lazy day of sloppy dressing and relaxation instead of another day full of stress over Cute-Barista Guy.

But Louis had a test to take, and he hadn’t been able to concentrate on studying the night before. Little things kept distracting him, from the quiet rustling of a hungry Niall getting late night snacks in the kitchen to the soft snores of a sleeping Zayn in the next room. Soon the words were blurring together and Louis had decided a good night’s rest would be better for him than this futile attempt at reading over his notes. But even as he lay in bed trying to sleep, Louis was kept awake by the thoughts of chocolate curls and green eyes and dimpled smiles.

On top of that Louis woke up early too, forced into consciousness by his brain working on overtime as it continued to go over his previous conversation with Zayn. He refused to get out of bed though, especially considering how early he’d gotten up the day before.

It made Louis nearly sick to think about how obsessed he was already with Cute-Barista Guy. He didn’t even know the guy’s name, but Louis just couldn’t seem to get him out of his head.

Finally after over an hour of watching the numbers change on his digital clock, counting out the moments of his life as they were wasted, Louis decided that he _would_ go to the coffee shop.

He wasn’t giving in though, and he was in no way going to see Cute-Barista Guy. He just needed the coffee. And if the guy he was infatuated with happened to be there, that was purely coincidental.

And if it was Liam instead of Cute-Barista Guy, well, that was bloody splendid too.

Having made up his mind, Louis dressed the way he normally would for class, opting for a tight t-shirt and jeans with his hair simply blown dry into his classic fringe. Grabbing a beanie to ward off the wind and his notes to cram a little more before class, Louis called out a quick goodbye to Niall and Zayn before heading to the coffee shop.

He was skipping breakfast again, which brought forth the nagging knowledge that his mum would be unhappy about his eating habits as of late. But Louis’s nervous stomach was in anxious knots about the upcoming test and he was sure that any sort of food he consumed would be promptly tossed back up. Caramel coffee didn’t even sound particularly appetizing at the moment, but Louis knew he was once again in desperate need of the caffeine provided by the drink.

“G’morning!” The familiarly slow greeting from Cute-Barista Guy welcomed Louis as soon as he stepped into the shop, and Louis gave him a curt nod in response before taking his place in line.

The line was short again, which Louis found to be a contradiction in itself based on how long it took him to reach the front. It did give him time, however, to subtly study Cute-Barista Guy, trying to figure out exactly _what_ had caused Louis to be head over heels for a guy that had only flirted with him once.

There was something about him, though he still didn’t know what, that Louis found undeniably endearing. He was a paradoxical mix of adorable and sexy, in a quirky, charming sort of way.

“Caramel mocha?” Cute-Barista Guy asked with a dimpled smirk as Louis stepped up to the counter, a cheeky grin spreading on his face at Louis’ surprised nod.

“Ah...yes, actually.” Louis stammered. Maybe Cute-Barista Guy paid more attention to Louis than he had previously assumed.

“And your name is...?” Cute-Barista Guy asked as he picked up a cup, beginning to write on the cup before Louis had even answered.

“George.” Louis said immediately, as a compensation of sorts for going against Zayn’s advice and coming to the coffee shop again.

Cute-Barista Guy frowned at that, looking up at Louis in surprise as his hand faltered, a letter ‘A’ already written on the cup in anticipation of Louis’ answer. “George?” He asked in disbelief, glancing down doubtfully at the ‘A’ before looking back up at Louis.

Louis blinked in surprise at the ‘A,’ realising that he truly was not as overlooked as he had thought. He recovered quickly though and simply nodded, asking with a dubious raised eyebrow. “Need me to spell it?”

Cute-Barista Guy blinked slowly at Louis before abruptly straightening and throwing the cup away, grabbing another and hurriedly writing ‘Jorge’ on it before making Louis his drink.

Louis slid his money forward on the counter and thanked Cute-Barista Guy with an easy smile, biting back a laugh at the misspelling but not commenting on it.

Whether it was spelled George or Jorge didn’t matter - it wasn’t as if it was Louis’ real name anyways.

It wasn’t until he had taken a seat in the booth by the window and donned his framed glasses to pore over his notes, that Louis realised. It was true that the misspelled name ‘Jorge’ didn’t matter because it wasn’t actually Louis’ name. But in the same way, the caramel mocha addict that Cute-Barista Guy knew didn’t matter either - because it wasn’t actually Louis.

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

 

After the stressful exam (that wasn’t actually as hard as he had expected it to be), Louis dropped his head down on the desk and let his eyes fall shut. He was tired, tired of everything. Of Cute-Barista Guy, of school, of life. Louis couldn’t think of anything that sounded better than his soft bed back at the flat.

Zayn reached over and poked him in the cheek, being annoying in the best way as always. “So I see your name is Jorge today,” He commented mildly, pulling back his hand as Louis attempted to swat it away.

Louis just sighed, cracking open an eye to look at Zayn and saying quietly. “It was supposed to be George with a G actually. Like you said, remember?”

“Actually I’m pretty sure I said to stay away from that coffee shop, remember?” Zayn countered with a fond smile.

Louis’ face fell slightly, a flicker of doubt passing over his features before quickly disappearing - but not before Zayn saw it.

Zayn’s raised eyebrows were all that it took to get Louis to explain.

Louis sighed again, rubbing his face with his hands and muttering, “Remember how you said he doesn’t care about me, or even notice me?”

Zayn nodded with a sympathetic smile. “Lou, don’t waste your time on this again...”

Louis shook his head quickly motioning to the coffee cup on his desk that was sloppily labeled ‘Jorge.’ “He started to write an ‘A’ this morning, Zayn! He remembered!”

Zayn sighed, giving Louis a dubious look. “So was he remembering Aaron, or was it Andy?”

“Aaron or _Andrew_.” Louis corrected automatically before shaking his head. “Doesn’t matter what name he was remembering, it was ME that he was remembering!”

“Right...remembering as the sleepy, sloppily dressed lad who comes in for a caramel mocha and has a name that starts with A.” Zayn rolled his eyes fondly at his friend. “That just means he recognizes you, mate - not that he fancies you.”

Louis snapped his fingers with an excited grin, brushing off Zayn’s insult to his appearance. “That’s another thing - the caramel mocha! He remembered my order without me even having to say it!”

Zayn sighed, going over ways in his head to possibly mediate Louis’ obsession with this barista without crushing him. “Lou...” He said slowly, not sure how to voice his opinion that Louis was being ridiculous without hurting his feelings.

Louis wasn’t typically thought of as sensitive or the type of person to watch your words around, but Zayn knew better than that. Behind the walls that he had set up, Louis was incredibly vulnerable - he just never let anyone see it. Even Zayn wasn’t quite sure how extensive Louis’ insecurities truly were, but he knew for certain that Louis’ primary motivation behind his confident attitude was the fear of seeming weak. Weakness was something that Louis simply refused to accept, and he did everything possible to prevent from seeming so.

Zayn was brought out of his thoughts by Louis’ voice, asking “Yeah Zayn?” as Louis looked up at him, traces of childish hopefulness clear in his sparkling blue eyes.

And looking at Louis with his hopeful expression, Zayn couldn’t quite figure out how to find the words to tell Louis ‘no’. He couldn’t tell him how impossible this was, and darken the light of the hope shining in Louis’ eyes.

As much as Zayn wanted to prevent Louis from facing the inevitable rejection from the barista, he also wanted to be a supporting best friend.

So instead of advising Louis to stay the hell away from that coffee shop, Zayn found himself saying with a small smile “Just take it slow, Lou.”

And based on the way Louis’ face lit up at Zayn’s approval, he knew that he’d  be the one to blame when and if Louis ended up with his heart broken by the stupid barista.

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

 

The next day Louis went to the coffee shop again, sitting down in a cozy seat by the window that was strategically chosen to aid in his developing infatuation for Cute-Barista Guy. He set down his cup of caramel mocha (today the name ‘Peter’ was written on it in Cute-Barista Guy’s lovely scrawl) and took a seat while trying to ignore the dull throbbing of his head.

Last night had been Drunk Disney Night at their flat, a tradition that Louis, Zayn, and Niall had developed when they first started living together. Niall provided alcohol, Louis chose random disney movies, and Zayn sat his lazy arse on the couch and the three proceeded to drink until they were smashed and every line of every movie seemed absolutely hilarious. Needless to say, the next morning always resulted in a massive headache and lack of any inclination to get out of bed.

Louis was a bit of a lightweight, the exact opposite of Niall, but he loved the feeling of it, the buzz of intoxication that made him tipsy and giggly and childish. What he didn’t love was the inescapable hangover that followed the next day.

Unfortunately in Louis’ experience, coffee tended to not help with hangovers and often ended up exacerbating his headache instead of alleviating it. But Louis had already taken some Tylenol and water, and he really wanted to come to the coffee shop, so he’d decided it would be bearable enough.

Cute-Barista Guy was the only reason he had come, but that was okay. Today, Louis was on a mission.

Zayn had told Louis to take it slow, pointing out that Louis didn’t know Cute-Barista Guy’s actual name, or even if he was single. This hadn’t actually occurred to Louis as a problem before - after all, Cute-Barista Guy didn’t know his name either and they had definitely mutually flirted. But Zayn was right, if he was going to be properly infatuated with Cute-Barista Guy, he ought to have more information.

So now instead of being on Mission Get In Cute-Barista Guy’s Pants, he was on Mission Stalk Cute-Barista Guy. Louis wasn’t entirely convinced that this was an improvement (after all, he’d much rather get laid than be a stalker). But it was Zayn’s advice, or based on it anyways, and Zayn tended to be right about such things. Besides, Louis remained hopeful that his current stalking mission was merely a stepping stone that would lead back to his previous one of getting laid.

“Call me okay?” Louis looked up from his coffee to see a pretty brunette flash Cute-Barista Guy a wink as she strutted out, frappuccino in hand.

“You betcha,” Cute-Barista Guy answered smoothly, shooting finger guns at her and pocketing a slip of paper before turning to his next customer.

Louis couldn’t help the feeling of jealousy that surfaced upon overhearing this exchange, nor the way that his heart fell a little.

The coffee shop was relatively empty, the way it tended to be, but that just made it easier for Louis to listen in on Cute-Barista Guy’s conversations with the customers. What Louis heard however, did not make him feel better at all.

He had already known that Cute-Barista Guy was a flirt, but that was only natural. With his unabashed grin and irresistible dimples, it made sense that the guy was a charmer. But it wasn’t until Louis saw the charm in action that he realized just how screwed he was.

Cute-Barista Guy flirted shamelessly and ubiquitously. Whether the person was fat, skinny, tall, short, male, female - it didn’t seem to matter to him. He sent a wink and a cheeky comment towards every single customer that came up to order. The longer Louis watched, searching for a pattern or trait that Cute-Barista Guy was interested in, the more certain he was that Cute-Barista Guy would flirt with anything that breathed. He half expected Cute-Barista Guy to start complimenting the potted palm tree by the door too.

He really wasn’t special after all. So what if Cute-Barista Guy had managed to remember the first letter of his ‘name’ and his coffee order? The way that Cute-Barista Guy had flirted with him wasn’t actually a sign of interest after all. It was just his infuriating ability to charm the pants off of everyone.

Louis sat at his window table all day long, watching Cute-Barista Guy pocket numbers, blow kisses, and write little x’s next to people’s names on their cups. He didn’t see a single customer leave the shop without a compliment or a wink, not even the grandmotherly lady who came in complaining about cats and tea.

It wasn’t until Louis had finished his cup of caramel mocha and was wondering what to do to occupy himself next that he realized what he was doing. He was pining. Pining for someone that would never notice him, like a teenage girl fawning over her favorite celebrity.

And all of a sudden, Louis felt pathetic. He’d been sitting in the booth cushions so long that his bum was losing feeling and Cute-Barista Guy hadn’t glanced over at him once since he’d given him his drink.

This wasn’t what he should be doing with his life. It wasn’t worth it to pine over someone who barely even gave him a second glance.

With a sigh, Louis stood and threw away his empty mocha cup, taking a moment to look around the coffee shop one last time before leaving.

He wouldn’t be coming back.

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

“I’m not going back there again!” Louis announced as he walked into the flat, shutting the door after himself and kicking off his shoes. He had figured that he needed to tell Niall and Zayn about  his decision to stay away from the coffee shop as soon as he got back. They were the kind of friends who would not only understand, but also hold him to his word.

“Going where?” Niall asked tiredly, looking up from a bowl of ramen that he was eating.

Zayn glanced up from the tv, looking unnaturally calm for a guy who was caught in the middle of watching Disney Channel. “Back to the coffee shop you mean?” He asked.

“Right.” Louis nodded in affirmation at Zayn before eyeing the tv screen and asking dubiously, “There’s not much good on Disney anymore, is there?”

“Not really, but its entertaining sometimes I guess.” Zayn shrugged and clicked off the tv, turning Perry the Platypus’ billed face into blackness before giving Louis his full attention.

“Anyways, why the change of heart about the coffee shop? I thought you were like, obsessed with that place.” Niall asked, turning the conversation back to Louis’ intended topic as he took another bite of noodle.

“I wasn’t _obsessed_.” Louis objected indignantly, deliberately overlooking how both boys rolled their eyes at him.

“C’mon Lou, face it. You’re totally in love with that one barista.” Niall countered with a laugh.

“Well I’m not anymore,” Louis huffed, flopping down on the couch and giving them both his best glare.

“And why is that?” Zayn asked tactfully, making up for the way Niall was still making side comments from the kitchen.

Louis shrugged, thinking for a moment before starting to explain “Well I went there today-”

“As per usual.” Niall interrupted, giving Louis a fond smile to soften his words.

Louis flipped him off and continued “And I watched him for a while-”

“Like a stalker.” Niall singsonged with a grin.

“Oh shut up, would ya?” Louis chucked a pillow halfheartedly at Niall. “Anyways, I stayed there mostly all of today and he really flirts with everyone...it wasn’t just me. So it wasn’t that I was anything special. I was just another customer for him to win over to keep ‘em coming back.” Louis shrugged like it didn’t matter, like it wasn’t a slap to the face.

But even Niall was able to see through the fake gesture. “Aww Lou..” He said softly, his tone matching the sympathetic look that Zayn was giving Louis.

Louis laughed quickly, brushing off their pity and reminding them “Its fine, its not like I knew him anyways. He was just really fit and charming and I don’t know...it felt like it could’ve been right. Guess not though.”

There was a moment of sudden silence as none of the boys really knew what to say to that before Zayn asked, “So you’re officially moving on?”

Louis nodded confidently as he agreed, “Yep, moving on.”

He thought about it to himself as the other two boys returned to their usual pastimes, Zayn flipping through tv channels and grumbling about having missed the ending to Phineas and Ferb while Niall reheated his ramen and continued eating.

And Louis was sure. There was no more going back, no more pining. Cute-Barista Guy was just yet another unattainable hot guy, a category that Louis had filled with various past crushes already.

He was moving on, and he meant it.

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

 

It had been four days. Four days since Louis had last gone to the coffee shop. Four days since he had sat by the window and pined for hours. Four days since he had resolved that he wouldn’t ever go back. Four long days.

When he thought about it though, four days wasn’t actually all that long. It hadn’t even been a week. But as time passed, Louis found himself spending less and less time thinking of chocolate colored curls and more and more time focused on other aspects of his life.

He’d tried out for the football (soccer) team shortly after banning himself from the coffee shop and ever since had been putting all his time and effort into extra practice. It was a nice feeling too, to be good at something and to know it.

Zayn and Niall came to play with him sometimes, when it was just for fun in the park, but their games often ended with frantically chasing the ball after a particularly spastic kick from Niall.

Neither Zayn nor Niall was much into football, but they tried for Louis. Actually, they all tried for each other, participating in the others’ hobbies in little ways all the time.

Niall was much more into playing guitar, and the other boys were known to join in with loud, offkey singing that would radiate from the flat. They were actually fairly good singers, if they tried to be. But their neighbors had heard too many deafening midnight renditions of Beyonce to ever imagine that as a possibility.

Zayn, on the other hand, had discovered a passion for art - spraypainting in particular. He’d always been good at drawing, but none of the boys would have guessed that he’d  be good at the graffiti style stuff. Shortly after the revelation, nearly every room in the flat was decorated with Zayn’s artistic flair. Louis had insisted the boys go on a ninja expedition and spray paint random things around campus, but Zayn really hadn’t wanted to show off his talent to public and Niall really hadn’t wanted to be arrested for vandalism, so the idea was shot down.

Nevertheless, the three boys settled into a familiar routine during the four days following Louis’ boycott on the coffee shop. It became like a rhythm of sorts: classes during the day, football in the afternoon, spray painting in the evening, and loud singing at night.

And Louis loved it. He only spared a thought for Cute-Barista Guy when he was passing the coffee shop on the way to class, and sometimes before he fell asleep at night.  Nighttime was worse though, with nothing to distract him or keep him busy. That was when the real thoughts came, when he wondered about everything. Wondered how it would feel to run his fingers through Cute-Barista Guy’s curls. Wondered what sports Cute-Barista Guy liked, if any. Wondered if he was any good at art or music. Wondered how Cute-Barista Guy pictured his future.

But for the most part, Louis pushed Cute-Barista Guy to the back of his mind, accepting that although it was a nice fantasy, it couldn’t and wouldn’t ever be reality.

And Louis...he felt free.

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

 

It had been an unspoken agreement that after Louis refused to go back to the coffee shop, Niall and Zayn would follow in suit. Zayn hadn’t visited much in the first place, waking up far too late to be in need of a caffeine boost, and Niall was typically running too late to have time to stop for coffee. But one morning, Niall woke up early to be ready for an exam and broke the unofficial pact. He went to the coffee shop.

“LOUIS!” Niall yelled as he came crashing into the flat they shared, tripping over a pair of TOMS at the door and practically hurtling himself into the main room, where the small kitchen area connected with the living space they had dubbed their “TV room”.

Louis looked up in surprise, or rather, looked down in surprise. He was standing precariously balanced on a chair with two thick books stacked on it, one of which was a dictionary and the other a sex education book that happened to have a hard cover suitable for standing on. “NIALLER!” He shouted back enthusiastically, assuming that Niall’s chaotic entrance was due to news about how he’d done on his exam.

“Um...what are you doing?” Niall asked, faltering for a moment in distraction from his news as he looked up at Louis.

“Spraypainting.” Louis said simply, motioning to an orange shape on the ceiling.

“You’re spraypainting a dick onto our ceiling?” Niall asked dubiously, not seeming particularly bothered or surprised.

“No.” Louis frowned, nearly losing his balance as he shook his head before looking up curiously at his artwork. “It’s a carrot! Cuz its almost easter. There’s a bunny over there.” Louis pointed across the room after regaining his balance, where there was indeed a white and pink bunny smiling cheerily from the corner.

Niall eyed the bunny for a moment before looking back up at the carrot and saying again “It still looks like a dick.”

Louis rolled his eyes and climbed down from the chair to flop on the couch. “It’ll look more carrot-like once I add the green on top. But anyways! What’s up?”

Niall’s eyes went wide as he was brought back on topic, blurting out “I saw your hot barista dude today! He misses you.”

Louis went very still, freezing into place for a moment and asking in detached surprise, “What..?”

Niall nodded and began to explain, gesturing wildly with his arms. “I went to that coffee shop before my exam - sorry about that by the way, I know we were like avoiding the place or whatever - but he was there! Brown curly hair and green eyes, right?”

Louis nodded. He preferred more flattering descriptors than ‘brown’ and ‘green’ but the basic idea was the same.

“Yep, that was him then.” Niall confirmed with a smirk. “You were right Lou, he’s _fit_. There was this other barista there too...his name was Liam? With like shortish hair and more of a strong build. If you ask me, _he_ was the hot one. Damn that coffee shop.”

Louis snapped out of his shocked stupor, bursting out laughing at Niall. “I knew you would like him! Thought so the second I saw him that he was your type.”

“Yeah, well.” Niall shrugged before giving Louis a wicked grin. “Guess what they were talking about.”

Louis raised an eyebrow at Niall, unimpressed. “And why on earth do I care what they were talking about?”

Niall shoved Louis’ shoulder, rolling his eyes. “Shut up and guess, sassmaster. You’ll care, trust me.”

“I don’t know...a new coffee menu?” Louis asked, saying the first thing that came to mind.

“You think I’d be that excited over a coffee menu?” Niall demanded, and Louis shrugged.

“I don’t _know_!” Louis repeated, laughing.

“They were talking about _you_ , mate.” Niall said seriously, watching as the carefree smile on Louis’ face was replaced with confusion.

“Me?” Louis asked, pointing to himself unnecessarily.

“Yup. The ‘cute guy with a different name every day’ is what they said, I think.” Niall told him, using air quotes to emphasize his accuracy.

Despite being known for his sass and witty comebacks, Louis was completely speechless. He sat up slowly on the couch and gaped at Niall before choking out again “ _Me??_ ”

“Yes, you!” Niall said with a grin. “I think he fancies you too, Lou.”

“But I thought he barely even _remembered_ me!” Louis spluttered, looking at a loss for words. “How...?”

“Crystal blue eyes?” Niall asked, tapping Louis’ temple. “Check. Floppy fringe?” He reached up and ruffled Louis’ hair, saying “Check. Clever mouth?” He poked Louis’ cheek. “Check. Soft stubble?” He rubbed Louis chin, frowning when he realized that Louis had since shaved. “No check! You’re an imposter!”

Louis laughed at Niall’s antics, shoving his hand away and fighting back the stupid smile that threatened to take over his face. “I shaved this morning, you twat. It’s still me!”

Niall grinned, his blue eyes shining with mischief. “You get the idea though.”

“He...he really remembered all that stuff about me?” Louis asked uncertainly, watching as Niall nodded earnestly.

“Yeah.” Niall rolled his eyes in exasperation. “ You should’ve heard him talking about you, mate. It was like...well, like the way you always used to talk about him!”

And then Louis couldn’t help it anymore. He stopped suppressing his loopy grin and let his heart flutter in disbelief. Maybe he was more memorable than he’d thought.

 

 


	12. Chapter 12

 

Louis prepped himself mentally the next day before going to the coffee shop. He and Niall had explained everything to Zayn and even he had agreed that Cute-Barista Guy fancied Louis. Zayn had always been the most cautious out of the three of them, and the most wary about Louis’ interest in Cute-Barista Guy. So now that Zayn too thought that Louis had a chance with Cute-Barista Guy...well, Louis was a nervous wreck.

“Relax Lou, you’re the sassmaster!” Niall pointed out, handing Louis a plate of pancakes. “What could go wrong?”

Louis nodded, trying to make himself believe Niall’s words even though he really didn’t. “Right. Just order my coffee, say my actual name, and...” He trailed off as his mind started whirling through ways he would likely make a fool of himself.

“Just talk to him.” Zayn mumbled sleepily as he stumbled into the kitchen. “Ask him what his name is for starters, so we don’t have to keep referring to him as ‘Cute-Barista Guy’.”

Niall laughed in agreement and Louis gave them both a weak smile. “It feels so real now,” He said thoughtfully, finishing up his pancakes.

Niall nodded and reached towards Louis as if to take his empty plate for him before slinging his arm around Louis instead and pulling him in for a hug. He hugged him tight before pulling back, gripping Louis’ shoulders firmly and looking him straight in the eye. “You go get ‘im, Lou. You’ve got this.”

And all of a sudden, Louis felt pathetic again. He shouldn’t need encouragement and hugs just to flirt with a guy. It wasn’t that big of a deal. If Cute-Barista Guy laughed him out of the place, that was fine. He’d just return to avoiding the coffee shop again, like he already had been. And if by chance things went well with Cute-Barista Guy...well, he didn’t want to let himself get carried away thinking about that.

He took a deep breath, thanked Niall and Zayn, and headed off to the coffee shop like he always used to. “Caramel mocha, my name is Louis. Caramel mocha, my name is Louis.” He mumbled under his breath repeatedly as he got closer and closer to the fateful building.

And before he knew it, he was standing in front of the homey coffee shop door, absently repeating the mantra of his order and name while Cheryl Cole blasted in his ears to distract him from his self deprecating thoughts.

“G’morning!” Cute-Barista Guy’s warm welcome sounded throughout the shop as Louis forced himself to open the door and step inside.

Just one look at Cute-Barista Guy made all of Louis’ agonizing more than worth it. His face was flushed warm from all the baked goods and he was smiling wide like Louis was an old friend whom he had been missing.

Louis gave him a small smile back and walked up to the counter, simultaneously grateful for and dreading the fact that there was no line. Music was still blasting in his ear and somehow that eased the twisting of his stomach as he approached quite possibly the most gorgeous boy to exist.

“Caramel mocha?” Cute-Barista Guy asked with easy familiarity, pulling out a cup and sharpie.

Louis nodded, trying not to look too dumbfounded by the fact that Cute-Barista Guy still knew his order. “Caramel mocha.” He echoed in confirmation, mostly because that’s how the mantra in his head had practiced for this moment.

_Caramel mocha. My name is Louis. Caramel mocha. My name is Louis. Caramel mocha. My name is Louis._

“And your name?” Cute-Barista Guy asked, looking at Louis curiously.

This was it. This was when he revealed what his name actually was to Cute-Barista Guy, and tried to strike up a conversation about something that preferably didn’t involve his apparent identity issues.

But instead of answering smoothly like he’d hoped to, Louis panicked.

The mantra flew from his mind and suddenly he had no idea what it was he was supposed to say, or how it was possible for anyone to think coherently when talking to someone with such flawless green eyes and deep dimples and curly hair.

And maybe it would have been easier to focus on his mantra if he didn’t have Cheryl Cole rocking out in his left ear and maybe it would have been easier if he’d just said his name instead of waiting for Cute-Barista Guy to ask him for it, but it was too late to be thinking about what-ifs when he had probably left an awkwardly long pause before his name which was-

“Cheryl.” Louis blurted, freezing the second the word came out of his mouth because his name was _Louis_ not Cheryl for Christ’s sake.

But Cute-Barista Guy just laughed and wrote it down on the cup, moving smoothly to make the caramel mocha while Louis stood there stupidly, his brain racing to catch up with what had just happened.

Before he knew it, Louis was paying for his drink and thanking Cute-Barista Guy as he left the shop. The whole thing seemed like a blur already, a big messed up blur, and Louis wasn’t quite sure how he’d managed to screw up something so simple so badly.

But then again, he always did that.

 


	13. Chapter 13

 

“Lou, mate...Louis, wake up!” Niall shook Louis’ shoulder, glancing at the clock and cringing at the time. “Lou...Ineedyoutodomeafavor.”

“Whaaa?” Louis mumbled in confusion, looking blearily up at Niall. “Wha’ time issit?”

“Its...early,” Niall said vaguely, wincing at the clock again.

“Whyyyy,” Louis groaned and buried his face back in his pillow again.

“Please mate..? You’re gonna hate me but I need you to get me a coffee and meet me after class with it, I’m gonna be dying without caffeine.” Niall begged.

“After class? Get it yourself, Nialler.” Louis grumbled.

“I can’t.” Niall said in exasperation. “That’s what I usually would do, but today they changed the schedule and I have another class right after that one. I’m not gonna have a spare moment til nearly tonight!”

“Let me sleeeeep.” Louis mumbled into the pillow, even as his brain started to catch up with the situation.

“You don’t have to get up yet, Lou. Just bring the coffee at eight thirty?” Niall asked hopefully.

Louis nodded into the pillow and waved Niall off with his hand, ignoring his thank-yous as he tried to go back to sleep.

Unfortunately for Louis, his attempts to go back to sleep failed and he was soon grumbling and awake and out of bed.

He dressed and got ready fairly quickly, not putting much effort into his appearance partly because he planned on flopping back in bed after he delivered Niall’s coffee and partly because he’d already made a fool of himself in front of Cute-Barista Guy.

Dressed in a simple outfit with a beanie to hide his bedhead, Louis walked quickly down to the coffee shop, giving Cute-Barista Guy a shy smile as he entered.

Cute-Barista Guy didn’t seem to be fazed by what Louis had dubbed his “Cheryl Catastrophe” from the previous day. He sent him the usual wide dimpled smile and smooth welcome that calmed Louis nerves even as it set his heart racing.

Only then did it occur to Louis that he didn’t actually know what Niall wanted to drink. They hadn’t ever come to the coffee shop together before and Niall hadn’t mentioned it earlier (had he?). But Louis knew Niall was in need of a caffeine boost so he figured his usual order of caramel mocha would have enough caffeine to do the job. Besides, if he switched up his order now it might ruin everything he had going between him and Cute-Barista Guy.

“Caramel mocha please.” He told Cute-Barista Guy, who was already grabbing a cup and sharpie.

“And your name?” Cute-Barista Guy asked, looking up at him with a crooked smile.

“Niall.” Louis answered confidently, wishing he could have been this smooth yesterday and said his own name instead of freaking Cheryl Cole.

Cute-Barista Guy raised an eyebrow and looked Louis up and down before shaking his head, commenting mildly as he started to make the drink “You don’t look much like a Niall.”

Louis’ eyes widened in confusion, but he laughed it off and asked teasingly, “Oh, but I look like a Cheryl?”

“Sure, like Cheryl Cole.” Cute-Barista Guy said, handing Louis the caramel mocha with a wink. “After all, you’ve both got a great bum.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually know next to nothing about Cheryl Cole, but it was part of the tumblr prompt so I included it! Sorry if the comment on her bum was inaccurate, but I did at least do some googling before writing this and I think she's got a fairly nice bum? I don't know haha, just go with it please ;D


	14. Chapter 14

 

Needless to say, Louis was a flustered mess trying to pep talk himself before going into the coffee shop the next day. He had told both Niall and Zayn about Cute-Barista Guy’s bum comment, probably more times than necessary, but neither of them had any good advice.

“Just be yourself, he obviously likes you just the way you are.” Zayn had told him, before adding only half jokingly “You guys might wanna clear up the confusion about each other’s names though, just saying.”

“Just tell him your name and make sure you show off your bum, you’ll be fine!” Was what Niall had recommended.

But Louis remembered all too clearly his fail at trying to tell Cute-Barista Guy his name once before. He wasn’t sure how to avoid the exact same thing from happening again, aside from not listening to Cheryl Cole on the way there.

Worst come to worst, he just wouldn’t tell him his name. After all, they had managed to flirt mutually and all without a name for weeks now, a few more days wouldn’t make that much of a difference.

But Louis just wanted to get it over with. To end all the stress and constant coffee trips and just find out once and for all whether or not this massive crush he had on the cute barista would lead to anything.

But when he walked into the coffee shop, everything became a blur. He stammered his way through the order and before he knew it, he was walking out of the shop, caramel mocha in hand. Louis wasn’t even quite sure what he had told Cute-Barista Guy today for his name, but he supposed it didn’t matter. Maybe tomorrow he would try again and actually succeed without zoning out.

With a huff, Louis dropped into the seat beside Zayn, pausing to get out his notebook and put on his classes before turning to his friend, ready to tell him about his awful failure at the coffee shop.

But before Louis could say anything, Zayn let out a low whistle, poking Louis as he asked “How come the barista wrote you a novel, mate?”

“A novel..?” Louis frowned in confusion, giving Zayn a weird look. “We barely even talked today.”

“Well apparently he still had a lot to say,” Zayn told Louis, motioning to his coffee cup with an impressed look.

Louis glanced down at his cup for Zayn, eyes widening in surprise as he saw the excessive sharpie scribbles all over his cup. “What the...??”

Louis grabbed his caramel mocha with sudden urgency, turning the cup in his hand to read where his ‘name’ would usually have been written. Instead of his name, or any fake name, Cute-Barista Guy had wistfully printed: “One day I’ll get you to tell me your real name...”

A little bit below that, he had added on: “Mine’s Harry.”

_Harry_. It fit him so well. Now Louis had a name to match the face that he dreamed of. He had a word to describe the stunning perfection of soft curls and sparkling green eyes, cheeky grins and deep dimples, smooth welcomes and flirty comments.

“Harry..” Louis whispered softly to himself, tasting the way the name felt coming off his tongue. He loved it.

And then he noticed more writing near the bottom of the cup. It was smaller than the rest, and a bit sloppier too: “by the way, I like your smile xx.”

There were two x’s at the end and Louis was fairly sure that it was the first G-rated compliment that he’d ever gotten from  ~~Cute-Barista Guy~~ Harry. It made his heart flutter a little more than it should have, a smile spreading wide on his face.

“What’re you smiling so big about?” Zayn asked, leaning over to try and read the writing on the coffee cup as he dubiously eyed Louis’ cheshire cat grin.

“Nothing.” Louis shrugged in response, downplaying the way his heart was racing and adding mildly, “I just think I might need some more coffee after class.”

 

 


	15. Chapter 15

 

The walk back to the coffee shop after class was one that usually would have annoyed Louis. He made a point of only ever going to get coffee before class, since the homey coffee shop was located on the way. However, his next class was entirely on the other side of campus so although the caffeine might prove helpful, it wasn’t really worth the effort.

But today this trip to the coffee shop was at the top of Louis’ priorities. He felt like he was on top of the world, flying to the shop rather than simply trudging there. His fears had been defeated and his dreams had come true, all in one small written message from Cute-Barista Guy - Harry.

Louis didn’t know why, but he was surprised to find the coffee shop devoid of customers. For some reason he had been expecting the room to be full of people, and for Harry to nevertheless notice only him. For Harry to look up in surprise and greet him with an excited, “You’re back!” or even a cheeky “Just couldn’t stay away, huh?”.

But reality tends to deviate from one’s dreams, and none of these things ended up happening. Instead, the shop was entirely empty except for Harry, who hadn’t even noticed Louis’ entrance. He was still looking down, focused on wiping off the counter as Louis walked up.

Louis had decided it would be best to get straight to the point, avoiding any potential mistakes or awkward introductions. So he walked right up to the register, clearing his throat to get Harry’s attention and saying bluntly, “My name is actually Louis.”

Harry looked up in surprise, his face lighting up with a blinding smile as he recognized Louis. “Louis...” He echoed softly, and _wow_ did his name sound incredible when it fell from Harry’s lips. Harry tilted his head to the side slightly, studying Louis with parted lips before nodding his approval. “It fits you.”

“Thanks, mate.” Louis said with an easy grin before realizing he had no idea whatsoever about what he was supposed to do next. His planning ahead had consisted solely of introducing himself and ogling Harry’s perfection, both of which he had already accomplished.

But Harry was still just smiling at him, a smile so wide and deeply dimpled it looked nearly painful, and Louis couldn’t help but soak in the light that Harry seemed to be radiating.

“Well, ‘s nice to finally meet you for real” Louis said after the silence seemed to stretch on for too long.

“Yeah, yeah. You too, Lou.” Harry said, still smiling wide.

And now Louis was stuck again, not sure where the boundaries were or what the socially accepted course of action would be. He definitely wanted to kiss that dimpled smile from Harry’s face, but that was too fast even for him. But he couldn’t just leave either, that would mean leaving Harry alone while he was still shining like the sun.

“D’you...” Harry started hesitantly, speaking slower and deeper than Louis had thought was possible. “D’you want to, maybe...have some coffee with me? I finish my shift in like two minutes.”

Louis was nodding his assent far before Harry had finished speaking, smiling happily himself and saying. “I’d love to.” He paused for a split second before asking, “If you don’t mind though, could I have tea?”

“Not caramel mocha?” Harry asked teasingly, looking genuinely surprised.

“Nah, I’m more of a tea person to be honest. I just need the caffeine in the mornings and caramel mocha is the only coffee I can stand.” Louis admitted with a shrug. A matter of fact, he was practically a tea connoisseur, drinking tea at all times of day and painstakingly brewing it to perfection.

“Mmm, makes sense then.”  Harry said with a nod. But even as he turned away to make their tea, Harry couldn’t seem to stop beaming as if Louis had given him something great.

But then again, perhaps he had.

 

 


	16. Chapter 16

 

Five minutes later, Louis and Harry were seated at a cozy table by the window, smiling shyly at each other over mugs of steaming tea. It was earl grey tea rather than Louis’ preferred Yorkshire, but he had decided that was a blessing in disguise - if Harry had come out with Yorkshire tea, Louis didn’t think he would have been able to refrain from crashing their lips together and declaring it to be love.

Louis knew he had to get to class soon, and he was already late as it was, but he didn’t want to miss a single moment of being with Harry. The sun was slanting over Harry’s face and his eyes were sparkling with something like love at first sight. Harry was just sitting across the table and sipping his tea but he looked so pretty and hopeful that Louis really didn’t know how he would ever be able to say no to those sparkling green eyes.

So he did what he often did in situations involving devastatingly gorgeous guys - he texted Zayn.

_Take notes for me zaynie? I don’t think I’m gonna make it to class_

To which Zayn responded _Sure. Take as long as you like, but only if you get his number! (;_

And just like that, Louis was set to spend as long as he liked with this curly haired boy.

-

It turned out that “as long as he liked” meant something close to forever and before Louis knew it, tea had turned into lunch which turned into dinner which led to a tentative kiss outside his flat and a promise of so much more to come.

Louis had never known what love was before, but as walking to classes together turned into coffee dates which turned into movie nights which turned into sleepovers, he found that he had a pretty good idea of what it was after all.

Love wasn’t a fairy tale like the ones his mum used to tell his sisters before they went to sleep. And love wasn’t a chick-flick movie like the kind he watched with Zayn and Niall when they were feeling sappy and forever alone.

Love was just a feeling, but it was a powerful one. It was a happiness that started in his heart and radiated outwards. It was looking over at his sweet curly haired boy and knowing that his dimpled smile was what kept Louis’ world turning.

Soon Harry and Louis had become inseparable. They knew all there was to know about each other and Harry had practically moved in to Louis’ shared flat. Harry knew to make caramel mocha in the morning and Yorkshire tea at night, and to not question the “carrot” that remained painted on Louis’ kitchen ceiling. He made the boys meals whenever he was around and curled up on the couch every night, even though they all knew that before the sun rose Louis would be cuddled up next to him anyways.

They continued happily under this facade of friendship, not really sure what they were to each other and not really wanting to ruin anything by trying to label it.

Zayn, Niall, and Liam were well aware that the boys were practically dating, but no one really commented on it. Somewhere from their initial flirtation to their long lasting friendship, the two had fallen in love. They just hadn’t acknowledged it yet.

As their friendship had grown, Harry had long since stopped writing Louis’ name on his coffee cup. The tradition of morning caramel mocha, however, lived on. Harry would often write a small message for Louis in the mornings, something along the lines of _Have a good day xx_ or _Good luck on that exam!_ , and this never ceased to make Louis smile.

But one day, Harry found a way to simplify everything - all the sweet messages and fake names and even Louis actual name all compiled together. It was all embodied in one small word, written neatly on Louis’ caramel mocha cup.

_Boyfriend._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo wow! Thank you all SO much for reading this, it truly does mean the world to me. This is actually the first fic that I've ever written and finished (even though it probably qualifies as more of a reallyyy long one shot) and I'd really appreciate comments if you liked it or had any suggestions! I hope you're all having a great morning/afternoon/night wherever you are and thanks for taking the time to read this! Stay strong, and ship Larry xx
> 
> ;D


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